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This clinic by architect Kimitaka Aoki in the Ibaraki prefecture of Japan is designed to look like a cluster of smaller buildings (+ slideshow).

Externally, Y-Clinic appears as four conjoined buildings creating a facade of protrusions and recesses with seemingly random windows and an uneven pitched roof.

These exterior irregularities are in fact the result of architect Kimitaka Aoki's sun trajectory studies and response to the surrounding scenery. These calculations result in an interior flooded with daylight and expansive views of paddy fields, cherry blossom and a river.

White walls and exposed wooden rafters that run in different directions depending on which roof section they support emphasise the varying internal volumes.

Aoki told Dezeen, "it’s important to directly express the shape and angle of each roof by leaving the rafters exposed".

This clinic is located in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. The place next to rice paddy and riverbed is surrounded by nature. There are rice paddy, riverbed, cherry blossom trees, and beautiful sky.

Client (female doctor) demanded no rigidly formal clinic. On the other hand she really demanded reasonable and efficient circulation of doctor, staff and patient.

We designed the clinic by some clues (scenery, seasonal winds, sun trajectory and neighboring buildings) . We found out concavo-convex shape plan with keeping reasonable circulations. And, we suggested characteristic forms which is four buildings with each different roof which is leaded to relationships between inside and outside environment. The format of this architecture is unique to particular places. Whole building form is generated there by some elements. All rooms are rich in light due to offered sunlight by concavo-convex shape plan and different roofs. We can feel inside-space like passing through under some mountains in clinic. This building could be seemed such as villages from people walking along riverbed.

It's important to for us to consider environmental interrelationship. We strongly desire that the clinic is loved by neighborhood inhabitant and as new symbol in this local area. Although architecture actually has fate as huge artifact, we have to design new architecture which could be integrated environment. Its “scenery” may be called as “new nature (semi-nature)” through their times and affection. It could be new shape of future clinic.

Comments

A very sweet and simple design without being boring, with attention to the human scale. Nice contrast between the wood and the white. Why oh why do Japanese buildings have no strip of grass or pavement around it as some sort of boundary? I know that ground prices will play a role, but not everywhere. It would be nice to have an article on Dezeen about the peculiarities of building in Japan.